Newspaper vending machine



Jan. 18, 1955 L. B. UHAS ET AL 2,699,980

NEWSPAPER VENDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 18, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l v IN V ENTOR- A. yfi'ds, Z W46 v/fa 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 18, 1950 UnitedStates Patent C) NEWSPAPER VENDING MACHINE Louis B. Uhas and Joseph L.Uhas, Detroit, Mich.

Application October 18, 1950, Serial No. 190,788

6 Claims. (Cl. 312-62) The present invention relates to an improvednewspaper vending machine.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved newspapervending machine which is simple in design, economical of manufacture andreliable and eflicient in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a vending machinewhich may be readily serviced with a minimum of difficulty which insuresthat a prospective purchaser will not inadvertently overlook paying forhis paper.

Other and more detailed objects of the invention will become apparentfrom a consideration of the following specification, the appended claimsand the accompanying drawings, throughout the several views of whichlike reference characters designate like parts and wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of an embodiment of the presentinvention;

Figure 2 is a greatly enlarged view in transverse vertical sectionshowing the structure illustrated in Figure 1, taken substantially alongthe line 22 thereof;

Figure 3 is a broken view in transverse vertical section showing thelatching mechanism for the vending door section in the unlatchedposition and illustrating in broken lines a substantially openedposition of the vending door section;

Figure 4 is a broken view in transverse horizontal section of thestructure illustrated in Figure 2, taken substantially along the line 44thereof;

Figure 5 is a broken view in transverse horizontal section of thestructure illustrated in Figure 2, taken substantially along the line 55thereof;

Figure 6 is a view in transverse vertical section of the structureillustrated in Figure 4, taken substantially along the line 6-6 thereof;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view in transverse vertical section of thestructure illustrated in Figure 5, taken substantially along the line 77thereof;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view in transverse vertical section of thestructure illustrated in Figure 4, taken substantially along the line 88thereof; and

Figure 9 is a broken view of a portion of the coin control mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, the improved newspaper vending machinecomprises a generally rectangular cabinet 10 having a rear wall 12extending substantially higher than the front wall 14 and is closed atits top by a door assembly generally indicated at 16 and arcuatelyshaped, which will be presently described in greater detail. Theinterior of the cabinet is divided, by a vertically disposedtransversely extending wall 18, into a coin compartment 20 at one end ofthe cabinet occupying a rather small part of the interior of the cabinetand a newspaper storage space 22 in which the papers to be vended arestored and from which they are vended. Adjacent the front wall 14 of thecabinet 10, is a longitudinally extending wall 23 extending throughoutthe length of the newspaper storage compartment 22, which cooperateswith the front wall 14 to define a newspaper display compartment 24. Thefront wall 14 of the cabinet is provided with a window 26 through whichthe name, headlines, etc. of the display paper indicated at 28 in thedisplay compartment 24 may be readily seen by a prospective newspaperpurchaser. The display space 24 is covered at its top by a cover 30hinged along one edge to the front Wall 14 of the cabinet 10 and slopingupwardly and rear- "ice wardly with its rear edge resting upon the upperedge of the wall 23. The cover 30 may be readily raised by a purchaserwho finds all of the newspapers, represented at 32 in Figure 6, havebeen removed from the storage space, thereby permitting him to removethe last paper by taking the paper 28 from the display space 24.

It will be appreciated that in the broader aspects of the invention anysuitable means may be employed for maintaining the newspapers 32 in theposition illustrated in Figure 6. In the preferred embodimentillustrated these newspapers 32 are held in the position illustrated inFigure 6 with their folded edges uppermost and the papers parallel tothe front plate 14, by a follower plate 34 which is generallyrectangular in shape. The follower plate 34 is carried on a pair of arms36, the upper ends of which are pivotally connected to the opposite endsof the follower plate 34 approximately midway between the upper andlower edges thereof, by means of U-shaped brackets 38 secured to therear side of the plate 34, and pivot pins 40 extending through thebrackets 38 and the upper ends of the arms 36. The other ends of thearms 36 are pivotally secured to the bottom of the cabinet 10 adjacentits rear wall 12 and at opposite ends of the newspaper storage space 22,by hinges generally indicated at 42, having one leaf 44 fastened to theend of the arm 36 as by screws 46, and the other leaf 48 of which issecured to the bottom of the cabinet 10 as by screws 50. The hinge pins52 of the hinges 42 are encircled by springs 54 which act to urge thearms 36 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figure 6, andaccordingly urge the follower plate 34 forwardly.

It will be noted that in the preferred construction illustrated thenewspapers are supported on a false bottom 55 which slopes downwardlyfrom the back to the front of the newspaper space. This false bottom 55is in the form of a piece of sheet metal of a width to fit between thearms 36 and having downwardly turned supporting portions 57 and 59 atthe front and rear thereof. A convenient handle 61 is provided at thetop of the plate 34 for returning it to the position illustrated inbroken lines in Figure 6, when loading the machine. Also, the followerplate 34 preferably bears the legend Empty (not shown), so disposed thatit may be seen through the window 26 and an aperture 63 in the rear wall23 of the display space 24.

The door assembly 16 comprises an arcuately shaped main door 56, whichis pivotally connected along its rear edge by a piano type hinge 58 to aforwardly turned flange portion 60 at the upper end of the rear wall 12.The main door 56 extends arcuately forwardly and downwardly from thehinge 58 over the newspaper storage space 22 and has a frame includingangle irons 62 at opposite sides thereof, interconnected at theirforward ends by an angle iron 64 which extends along the upper edge ofthe front wall 14 when the door 56 is closed. A sheet metal door panel66 is supported on the angle irons 62 and extends from the hinge 58toward but terminates short of the front wall 14. A vending door 68 ismounted on the main door 56 and is pivotally supported at the lower edgeof the main door panel 66 by another piano type hinge 70. The vendingdoor 68 extends arcuately forwardly and downwardly from the hinge 70 tothe angle iron 64.

The main door'56 also includes a plate 78 which extends substantiallythe full length of the storage space 22 and underlies the vending doorsection 68 to permit only limited access to the storage space 22 uponopening of the vending door section 68, as is hereinafter more fullydescribed. The plate 78 has a rearwardly turned flange 72 at its upperedge which is suitably secured, as by welding, to the main door panel 66adjacent the hinge 78.

The plate 78 includes a generally vertically disposed portion extendingdownwardly from the flange 72, and a generally horizontally extendingportion extending forwardly over the forward portion of the newspaperstorage space 22 from the lower end of the vertical portion. The plate78 is also connected to the angle irons 62 of the main door 56 byparallel end plates 76 which are vertically disposed and welded orotherwise suitably secured to the plate 78 and the angle irons 62. Asbest illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the central portion of the forwardlyextending portion of plate 78 is formed to provide an opening indicatedat 80, and a downwardly turned flange 82 at the rear of the opening 80.Intermediate the opening 80 and the left and right hand edges of theplate 78, as viewed in Fig. 5, the front marginal portion of the plate78 is turned downwardly and rearwardly to provide a bafile 84 adapted toengage the top of the papers disposed in the storage space 22. It willbe noted that there is a space provided between the bafiie 84 and thefront longitudinally extending angle iron 64 of the main door 56,through which space the vended newspapers are removed, as hereinafterdescribed. It will also be noted that the baffle 84 is shaped so thatits low point engages the upper edge of the front paper 32 in thestorage space 22. Because of this fact, as the purchaser reaches throughthe opening 80 and pulls the front paper 32 forwardly and upwardly, thebafiie 84 engages the next paper and prevents it from being pulled alongby the paper being removed.

The main door 56 is normally held in the closed position by a latch 86mounted in the front wall 14 of the cabinet 10, adjacent the upper edgethereof, as a part of a key controlled lock indicated at 88. The latch86 moves into and out of a co-operating opening 90 provided in the angleiron 64.

The vending door 68 carries a longitudinally extending rod 92 supportedat the underside of the door 68 and dis posed in spaced relationthereto. This rod 92 serves as a keeper co-operating with a pair ofhooks or latches 94 integrally connected by a longitudinally extendingrod 96 rotatably mounted in brackets 98 affixed to the end plates 76 byscrews 100. The hooks 94 are adapted to engage the rod 92, asillustrated in Fig. 2, to hold the vending door in its closed position.The rod 96, upon which the hooks 94 are afiixed, also carries an arm 102secured thereto and disposed within the coin mechanism compartment andadapted to be pivoted in a clockwise direction from the positionillustrated in Fig. 2, to the position illustrated in Fig. 3, to movethe hooks 94 out of engagement with the rod 92 and release the vendingdoor 68. This clockwise, or unlatching movement of the arm 102 islimited by a bumper 101 carried by a bracket 103 mounted on theunderside of the horizontal portion of the plate 78. The arm 102, andaccordingly, the rod 96 and the hooks 94 are urged in a counterclockwisedirection to the position illustrated in Fig. 2 by a spring 104, one endof which is secured to the arm 102 and the other end of which isconnected to a bracket 105 anchored to plate 78. The vending door 68 isprovided with a suitable handle at 106 for moving it to the openposition illustrated in broken lines and is urged toward the closedposition by a spring 108 anchored to a suitable bracket 110 secured tothe panel 66 of the main door 56 generally centrally thereof. The otherend of the spring 188 is connected to one end of an arcuately shaped arm112, which extends through a slot 114 provided in the verticallyextending portion of the plate 78 and is fixed to the vending door 68.The arm 112 is provided with a laterally extending projection 116adapted to engage the rear side of the plate 78 to limit movement of thedoor 68 is an opening direction.

The main door 56 also carries a pair of pins 118 projecting upwardlythrough co-operating openings in the angle iron 62 and bearing againstthe underside of the vending door 68. These pins 118 are pressed againstthe underside of the vending door 68 by spring wires 120 with a forcesufficient to effect an initial opening of the vending door 68 uponrelease of the rod 92 by the hooks 94. The pins 118 have collars 121 forlimiting their movement through the angle irons 62. the door 68 iscompleted by the purchaser by grasping the handle 106.

It will be appreciated that in the broader aspects of the invention, thearm 102 may be pivoted to disengage the hooks 94 from the rod 92 by anysuitable coin actuated mechanism. The particular coin mechanismillustrated in the drawings forms no part of the present invention andaccordingly, will be only briefly described.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the coin mechanism is disposed within thecompartment 20 and is mounted on a plate 122, carrying a coin box 124 atthe bottom thereof and fixed to a plate 126 adapted to fit in aco-operating opening in the front wall 14 of the cabinet 10. The particular mechanism illustrated is adapted to receive nickels The openingof H or pennies and includes a horizontally disposed shaft 128 carryinga vertically upwardly extending arm 130 disposed to engage the arm 102and pivot it from the position illustrated in Fig. 2 to the positionillustrated in Fig. 3, upon movement of the shaft 128 outwardly inresponse to a pullling on the knob 132 by the newspaper purchaser. Asuitable latch 133 is pivotally mounted on the plate 122 for holding therod 128 against such outward movement and is adapted to be tripped by anickel dropped down the chute 134, or by a fifth penny dropped down thechute 136 and supported upon the first four pennies which accumulate inthe rack 138. The spring 140 returns the shaft 128 to the positionillustrated upon the release of the knob 132 by the purchaser. A handle139 is provided at the top of the plate 122 for removing it and theattached coin box 124.

The applicants improved newspaper vending machine is prepared for thevending of newspapers by opening the main door after removing the latch36 from the aperture 90. The door 56 may be supported in the openposition by a pair of conventional links 142 pivotally connected at oneend to brackets 144 fixed on the main door 56, and having J slots 146co-operating with pins 148 fixed on the end walls of the cabinet 18. Thefollower 34 is then grasped by the handle 61 and raised to the positionillustrated in broken lines in Fig. 6. The newspapers to be vended arethen placed in the storage space 22 with their folded edges uppermostand the follower plate 34 is lowered against the rear paper. The cover30 of the display space 24 is then raised and a paper 28 is dropped intoposition with its folded edge down and the front side outwardly so thatthe name of the paper and the headlines may be viewed through the glass26. The main door 56 is then returned to the closed position and thelock 88 turned to engage the latch 86 in the opening 90. The machine isnow ready for operation and a purchaser may insert either a nickel orfive pennies and upon pulling the handle 132, the vending door 68 willbe partially opened by the action of the springs 120, forcing the pins118 against the underside of the door 68. The purchaser then grasps thehandle 106 of the door section 68 and holds the latter in the openposition while he reaches through the opening 80 and removes the frontpaper 32. Upon removal of the newspaper 32 by the purchaser, and releaseof the vending door 68, it will be returned to its latched position bythe combined action of the springs 104 and 108.

While only one specific embodiment of the invention has been illustratedand described in detail, it will be ap preciated by those skilled in theart that numerous modifications and changes may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A newspaper vending machine comprising a cabinet adapted to contain aquantity of newspapers to be vended, a door on said cabinet at the topthereof adapted upon opening thereof to provide access to said cabinetfor supplying newspapers to and removing them from said cabinet, saiddoor including a main portion mounted on said cabinet for pivotalmovement about one edge of said main portion and a vending door sectionpivotally mounted on said main portion, a baifle plate supported on saidmain portion of said door at the inner side thereof and extending belowand substantially across said vending door section at the inner sidethereof to limit access to said storage space upon opening of saidvending door section, said plate being formed to provide an opening atthe forward central portion of the plate adapted to receive a purchasershand therethrough to permit the grasping of a paper to be removed fromthe machine, a door lock mounted on said cabinet and co-opcrable withsaid main portion of said door for locking the latter in closedposition, and co-operating coin controlled latch means on said plate andsaid vending door section for securing said vending door section inclosed position.

2. A newspaper vending machine as defined in claim I wherein the frontmarginal portion of said plate at opposite sides of said opening isturned downwardly and rearwardly and is adapted, upon the removal of thefront newspaper in the storage space, to engage the adjacent newspaperand prevent it from being drawn out of place by the removal of the frontnewspaper.

3. A newspaper vending machine comprising a generally rectangularlyshaped cabinet adapted to contain a quantity of newspapers to be vended,a door on said cabinet adapted, upon opening thereof, to provide accessto said cabinet for supplying newspapers to and removing them from saidcabinet and including a main portion and a vending door sectionpivotally mounted on said main portion and adapted upon opening thereofto provide access to said cabinet for removing a vended newspaper, adoor lock cooperable with said main portion of said door for locking thelatter in closed position, and a coin controlled latch mechanism forsecuring said vending door section against pivotal movement relative tosaid main portion of said door, said main portion of said door includingmeans extending across said vending door section to the side oppositesaid pivotal connection of said vending door section to said mainportion of said door for limiting access to said cabinet upon theopening of said vending door section, and said latch mechanism includingco-operating means on said vending door section and said means extendingacross said vending door section.

4. A newspaper vending machine comprising a generally rectangularlyshaped cabinet adapted to contain a quantity of newspapers to be vended,a door on said cabinet adapted, upon opening thereof, to provide accessto said cabinet for supplying newspapers to and removing them from saidcabinet and including a main portion and a vending door sectionpivotally mounted on said main portion and adapted upon opening thereofto provide access to said cabinet for removing a vended newspaper, adoor lock co-operable with said main portion of said door for lockingthe latter in closed position, a coin controlled latch mechanism forsecuring said vending door section against pivotal movement relative tosaid main portion of said door, said main portion of said door includingmeans extending across said vending door section to the side oppositesaid pivotal connection of said vending door section to said mainportion of said door for limiting access to said cabinet upon theopening of said vending door section, said latch mechanism includingco-operating means on said vending door section and said means extendingacross said vending door section, and bafiie means on said meansextending across said vending door section adapted to engage thenewspaper adjacent a vended newspaper to prevent it from being pulledout with the vended newspaper upon removal of the latter.

5. A newspaper vending machine comprising a generally rectangularlyshaped cabinet adapted to contain a quantity of newspapers to be vendedand having an opening at one side thereof, a door pivotally mounted onsaid cabinet adapted, upon opening thereof to completely expose saidopening to provide access to said cabinet for supplying newspapers toand removing them from said cabinet and including a main portioncovering a part of said opening and a vending door section covering theremainder of said opening and pivotally mounted on said main portion andadapted upon opening thereof to provide access to said cabinet forremoving a vended newspaper, a door lock mounted on the cabinet andco-operable with said main portion of said door for locking said door inclosed position, a coin controlled latch mechanism for securing saidvending door section against pivotal movement relative to said mainportion of said door, said main portion of said door including meansextending across said vending door section to the side opposite saidpivotal connection of said vending door section to said main portion ofsaid door and said door lock including co-operating means mounted onsaid cabinet and said means extending across said vending door section.

6. A newspaper vending machine comprising a generally rectangularlyshaped cabinet adapted to contain a quantity of newspapers to be vendedand having an opening at one side thereof, a door pivotally mounted onsaid cabinet adapted, upon opening thereof to completely expose saidopening to provide access to said cabinet for supplying newspapers toand removing them from said cabinet and including a main portioncovering a part of said opening and a vending door section covering theremainder of said opening and pivotally mounted on said main portion andadapted upon opening thereof to provide access to said cabinet forremoving a vended newspaper, a door lock mounted on the cabinet andco-operable with said main portion of said door for locking said door inclosed position, a coin controlled latch mechanism for securing saidvending door section against pivotal movement relative to said mainportion of said door, said main portion of said door including meansextending across said vending door section to the side opposite saidpivotal connection of said vending door section to said main portion ofsaid door for limiting access to said cabinet upon the opening of saidvending door section, and said latch mechanism including co-operatingmeans on said vending door section and said means extending across saidvending door section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,516,121 Rupert Nov. 18, 1924 1,659,167 Schultz Feb. 14, 1928 2,119,548Laugherty June 7, 1938 2,245,487 Machin June 10, 1941 2,285,055 Rozin eta1. June 2, 1942 2,285,899 Cannon June 9, 1942 2,302,166 Anthony Nov.17, 1942 2,307,087 White Jan. 5, 1943 2,371,343 Melchert Mar. 13, 1945

